computer disk hdware config. problem

CAN SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!
i have this extra hard drive(old storage drive: 160gig) i put it into one of those little hp office desktop, and i keep getting the message;'windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware configuration problem". (u know the rest). the hard drive was used as a storage drive only. it dosnt have an operation system on it. i want to install xp on it and it wont boot because of this problem. what am i doing wrong.